This Sinking Town
by hauntedheart33
Summary: 'The water is calm and still; it is deep and fathomless. You may think that you can swim forever - but one wrong move, one missed breath, and all of us go under.' (SYOC Closed)
1. Rules and Guidelines

Summary:

It has been two decades since the kingdom of Illéa fell to ruins amidst turmoil and destruction. Not only were the Schreaves unsuccessful in their plan to remove the caste system, they have also been overthrown from their position of power. With the kingdom in despair and on the brink of collapse, King Everaerd of France sent his son to ease the political unrest and strengthen the alliance between the two countries. The young prince consort of France immediately fell deeply in love with the new King of Illéa's only daughter, and they spent several blissful years together.

Tragedy struck when the King of Illéa perished under unknown circumstances, and again when his heir, newly crowned, died days later. The French prince and his grief-stricken young wife became the rulers of Illéa, and vowed to do all they could for their people. Several years later, the King remarried, and his wife gave birth to a son, who was set to be the next King of Illéa.

But the kingdom is still divided. Dissenters are still vocal in their disapproval of the new royal family, and conflict exists even within the royals themselves. Opposition and hatred comes from all directions and spares no one. And so, now that the Prince Elect has turned 21, the King has decided to host the time-honoured selection once more. 35 young men and women between the ages of 16-20 have been invited to the palace in order to try and win Prince Romain Everaerd's heart.

Rules:

Please use the form on my profile.

I will be accepting both male and female characters as contestants in the Selection. If you want to submit a character that is not part of the Selection, PM me.

Your character is allowed to be a spy, rebel, or even potentially foreign royalty. If this is the case, just make sure to mention it in your character profile. If I have an issue with it, I will PM you. I will also PM you to figure out how this will work in the story.

You may submit more than one character, however there is no guarantee that the characters that you submit will be accepted. There is limited space - only 15 spots are available, of which at least 3 must be male.

Absolutely no Mary Sues/Gary Stus allowed - your character cannot be flawless.

Once you have submitted your character form to me, I cannot guarantee that your character will be successful in the Selection, or even make it out alive.

If you have an idea for a plot, you can PM me, but once again I can't guarantee that I will incorporate this into the story.

If you have read the rules, put 'spooky' in addition to anything else you may have written in the 'other' section of the character form.

* * *

Hey guys!

Thanks for taking a look at my story! This is my first time writing this kind of fanfic, and I hope that you all enjoy it. I'll try to update as often as I can, but no guarantees...school is getting pretty busy. The prologue should be posted by tomorrow.

Thanks again and I look forward to seeing all of your submissions!  
\- Brenn


	2. Prologue

Sunlight streamed in through the lofty windows to the palace library, along with the sweet summer breeze that stirred the ornate curtains. Prince Romain Everaerd was focused intently on a thick leather-bound book, flipping through the pages with long, slim fingers. It had been a long time since he'd been able to simply do the things he enjoyed - now that he was twenty-one, the amount of royal duties he had was almost overwhelming. In fact, there was a meeting about trade agreements with the Russians that he was supposed to be attending at this very moment. He wondered briefly if he should make an appearance, but decided that he didn't care enough.

The rays of sun warmed his sun-darkened skin and made his golden-brown curls appear as if they had captured droplets of light. While he was content enough at the moment, there was always that persistent worry in the back of his head.

 _What am I even doing with my life?_

He knew that his family's position of power wasn't stable - far from it. He knew it was his duty to be a good leader for his future people. But he couldn't help but feel as if there was more to life than smiling for the cameras and sitting in on long meetings that never seemed to accomplish anything. Palace life was too stagnant for Romain to feel as if he was actually making any difference to the kingdom of Illéa at all.

A flash of movement seen out of the corner of his eye interrupted his brooding. Romain looked up from the book to see his younger sister looking disdainfully down at him, the elegant sneer she reserved for him alone present on her face.

"The King and Queen have requested an audience with you in the Throne Room," she said emotionlessly.

Romain suppressed a sigh. Ophélie was as cold towards him as ever. No one would have guessed that they were siblings. Not only was Ophélie determined to show her scorn for Romain at every opportunity, they didn't resemble each other at all. Where Romain's skin was naturally tanned, Ophélie was so pale that her skin appeared almost translucent. She had glossy, straight chestnut hair whereas Romain's golden-blond curls were slightly too long and often fell into his face. Though their eyes were both blue, hers were pale, icy and striking, and Romain's were the dark blue of the dusky sky. Even their choice of clothing was jarringly different: Ophélie was currently wearing an elegant, embroidered dress of dark blue silk that made her seem every bit the regal princess she presented herself to be. Meanwhile, Romain was wearing dark blue - albeit expensive - jeans, and a button-down t-shirt.

"What do they want?" Romain asked unenthusiastically, reluctantly closing his book.

"Maybe to finally disown your worthless ass." Ophélie leaned over and jabbed him in the shoulder to emphasize her words. "God knows I'd be a better ruler than you anyway. At least I pay attention during meetings and attend my lessons."

Romain didn't bother responding. It wasn't as if he hadn't heard this all before. Ophélie was only seventeen but she had already proven herself to be quick-witted and sharp-tongued. Sometimes, Romain even found himself half-agreeing with her words.

"Let's go then," Romain said, choosing to ignore Ophélie's jibes. She followed him to the Throne Room, no doubt as curious as he was to the outcomes of the requested meeting.

Romain inclined his head to the two guards on either side of the ornate doors, knocked twice to alert the King and Queen to his presence and entered.

His father stood up from his throne as soon as Romain entered, and though he was smiling, Romain could clearly see the weariness on his face. "Ah, Romain. How good of you to join us."

"You requested my presence, Father?" Romain asked, a little warily. Perhaps his parents were about to scold him for skipping out on the meeting.

His father looked troubled. "Romain...your mother and I have been discussing this for a long time, and we think that it's for the best."

"Yes?" He had a sinking feeling about what this idea was.

"We're going to be holding a Selection. We believe this is the best way to ease some of the tension in the country at the moment - perhaps if they see one of their own being crowned, the anti-monarchists will calm down."

Romain stared at his father in disbelief. "A Selection? You're going to force me to marry someone?"

"Don't speak to your father in that tone." The Queen had spoken up at last. "We both believe that it would be for the best. It would settle some of the tensions in the country, and even allow for potential alliances with the other kingdoms, if all goes well. At the very least, it will teach you something about responsibility and maturity."

Romain bit down his protests. He wouldn't have tolerated this from anyone else...but then again, no one else would dare to speak to the Heir to the Throne in such a manner. His mother had always been like this, for as long as Romain could remember. Once in awhile, he even doubted whether or not she even considered him her son.

"Don't I get a say in this?" He knew it was futile - the Queen never went back on a decision - but he had to try _something_.

"I'm sorry, son," his father said gently. "But we really do believe that it's for the best."

Romain nodded and mumbled something about understanding his responsibilities, before he fled the room. He pushed past Ophélie, walking as fast as he could - while still trying to appear composed and dignified - down the long castle hallways.

All of a sudden, something crashed headlong into Romain. He stumbled backwards, more from surprise than the actual force of the impact. A boy of around twelve scowled at him, his pale blue eyes as cold as his elder sister's.

"Watch where you're going, you idiot!" His younger brother yelled at him before storming off.

"Good afternoon to you too, Aurelien," Romain muttered under his breath. Aurelien absolutely idolised Ophélie, but unfortunately, that seemed to mean that he had taken it upon himself to despise Romain even more than their sister did.

Romain pushed open the door to his room, after courteously greeting the guard standing sentry outside. He was prepared to let himself fall limply onto his bed, mentally exhausted from the morning's events, but to his surprise, there was already someone occupying it.

"Shouldn't the Captain of the Royal Guard be...I don't know, _guarding the royals_ , instead of taking a nap in the Prince's bed?" Romain queried.

The young man lounging lazily on Romain's bed grinned, carelessly flicking a strand of his black hair out of his hazel eyes. He was still in his uniform: a dark blue tunic belted tightly over his flat stomach and stretched over his broad shoulders and ironed black pants. Eden Kaneshiro, former child prodigy and the youngest Captain of the Royal Guard in Illéan history at only twenty-five years of age, had long since been a good friend of Romain's, ever since he had first been assigned as a common soldier to the palace at the age of sixteen.

"Well, you're here, aren't you?" He asked rhetorically. "Anyway, I thought you might need some moral support. I hear that you're getting married."

Romain sighed, sitting down on the edge of his bed, which was so large that there was easily enough room for both of them to comfortably fit if they felt like it. "Don't remind me."

"What, you're not excited to have multiple attractive, willing young ladies and gentlemen fawning over you and catering to your every desire?"

Romain shrugged. "I just...I just want to do _more_ with my life, you know? I wish I could do something for myself for a change, instead of always having to worry about what other people want."

Eden shifted so that he was sitting upright and facing Romain, his face suddenly very serious.

"Romain, you're the Prince. You have to do what's best for Illéa. You and I both know that there are hundreds, thousands, _millions_ of people out there who want you and your entire family, our Kingdom as we know it, dead. This Selection business? It could improve relationships with the citizens, gain the approval of the other Kingdoms, and guarantee the wellbeing of Illéa for years."

Romain didn't say anything. Eden sighed.

"Look, Romain. It might not be that bad. Just give this Selection business a chance, all right?"

"Yeah," Romain said quietly. "You're right, I know, I'm being selfish."

Just this morning, he'd been so unhappy with his life because he felt as if he couldn't do anything to help his Kingdom. Now that he'd been given the opportunity, he was determined to make the most of it.

 _Maybe I'll find love._

Almost as soon as the thought drifted through his mind, Romain dismissed it with an inner scoff. Love was a thing for children and flourished in fairytales. His eventual marriage would be for one reason only: the benefit of Illéa.

* * *

 _But it can't hurt to dream. And maybe our dreams, born aloft by the gentle breeze and shining bright with forbidden hope, are the only true salvation we have in this lightless world.  
_

* * *

Hey guys!

Here's the prologue that I promised you. This is just to give you all an idea of Prince Romain and his family, and the current situation in Illéa. The actual plot is fairly flexible, since I will be adapting the outline I have at the moment to incorporate the character submissions.

On that note: thank you to everyone who submitted a profile or expressed interest in this fanfic! Just a reminder that the character form is on my profile, and that the rules/guidelines were posted as the first chapter of this fanfic. Also: we do still need people who are going to be a part of the Selection, otherwise the fanfic can't progress. You are _not_ limited to one character submission - fill out as many character forms as you like!

And finally, I apologize to anyone who's still waiting for a response from me - I haven't been ignoring you, I promise! It just takes awhile for me to read through the character forms and really get an idea of how your characters are going to fit into the story.

Thanks again!  
\- Brenn


	3. Interlude: A Conversation

Despite all of the years she'd spent engaging in illegal activities, Elle still felt vulnerable walking to meetings. She found herself looking behind her every few paces, taking odd turns and doubling back on her path to make sure that no one was following her.

Kingston had chosen their meeting place; it was a busy restaurant, loud enough to obscure any traces of their conversation from passers-by. She suspected that he secretly liked the food there, even though Elle herself found it bland and odd-tasting. Smiling to herself, she pulled open the heavy wooden door and shrugged off her coat, glancing around to try and find their table.

 _He's stood me up_ , she realized. Of course he had; for all of his brilliance and passion, Kingston could never be trusted to attend meetings. Instead she took a seat at the back of the restaurant, where there was a young woman alone at one of the booths, absentmindedly stirring her tea with a spoon.

"Hi hon," Mui said, "I assume no one else's showed up yet."

"Kingston was supposed to be here," Elle huffed.

Mui waved her hand dismissively. "It's fine; you can just fill him in later on. I'd like to get down to business right away, even if that business is on the dull side."

Elle laughed. "Who knew we'd need this much money?"

"Running a revolution isn't as romantic as you thought it'd be, hm? All those finances and logistics. How many people do you have behind you again?"

"Most of the people in the Northern provinces; definitely some in Denbeigh and Calgary as well. There are quite a few people who want to divide Hansport in two, so we've got both separatists and those who want to stay in Illéa on our side there."

Mui nodded approvingly and stirred her tea a bit more vigorously. "They don't make tea properly here. The water's not hot enough." She still hadn't taken a single sip.

"Do you want me to order another one -"

"It's okay. We don't want to attract any undue attention, not while we're talking about these things."

That made sense - spies and undercover officers were everywhere, usually hoping to catch enough pieces of conversation to send someone to jail, sometimes for months of even years. Elle noticed that Mui was looking over the people in the restaurant, assessing them with well-practiced ease. She wondered if she'd ever manage to do that.

"And what about the aftermath?" Mui asked, startling Elle out of her thoughts. "Let's say I convince my people to send over supplies. You and your little coalition of Northern provinces win your revolution. What do you want then?"

Elle and Kingston hadn't really thought that far; they'd been unsure if they could even muster up enough support in the first place. But she couldn't tell Mui that, not when she was so close to getting New Asian support for their cause.

"We don't really care about who sits on the throne. You can arrange that."

"That's interesting," Mui said. "And let's say that we want one of King Everaerd's distant relatives...have you heard of his cousin? Cyrene, I think."

"No, I haven't."

"She's the duchess of somewhere in France, if I remember correctly; but that doesn't matter. She's a fairly lovely woman, I've heard, but quite committed to keeping Illéa in one piece. What do you think will happen when we topple the regime and begin a new one?"

Of course it had come to this; just when Elle thought that she could finally align her group's interests with a new ally, another irreconcilable difference had to drive them apart. It was frustrating how their goals always seemed to be within reach, just to be blown away by circumstance and unfortunate differences in opinion.

She took a deep breath to steady herself before speaking. "We don't care about that right now. If the people of Illéa can't come together because of our differences, how can we ever bring about change?"

Mui seemed a bit more interested now, abandoning the fruitless task of stirring her tea to focus fully on Elle. "That's a convincing argument, I'll give you that. I'll consider it." She looked past Elle's shoulder to a couple several tables in front of them. "And there goes our time together. Don't look, but there are two people behind you that might not like what we're talking about."

"Spies?"

"Mm. Not sure about that, but they've been looking at us an awful lot for a couple on a date." She shook her head at that. "Well then! I'll see you later," she said, somewhat louder than before, throwing her arms around Elle in a too-enthusiastic hug before slinging her bag over her shoulder and slipping out through the front door.

Elle stayed a few moments longer before she left as well, leaving nothing behind but a still-steaming mug full of swirling tea leaves.

* * *

 _The night is still young, but the seemingly inevitable darkness of oppression and defeat closes in on all sides. Perhaps, then, it is better to endure until daybreak - but what is the cost of waiting?_

* * *

Hey everyone!

This is just a short chapter that'll introduce us to some of the more disruptive or rebellious forces within the country. Elle here is a little low on confidence, but she's one of the leaders of a group that wants to separate from Illéa, and Mui represents New Asian interests in the country.

Just a few notes about character submissions:

I've been getting a lot of royalty submissions! This is great, but I believe that I have enough already, so at the moment I will not be accepting any more. (I'll be updating the rules to reflect this). I really need more Selected before I can properly begin to introduce them! I promise that although they might not have as much of an interesting position like a royal would, I will give all of them interesting storylines. However, if you are dead set on submitting a non-Selected character, you can use this chapter as a basis for more rebel characters, seeing as we've been introduced to some of the groups that might destabilize the country. Please PM me before you submit your form. I know I've been a bit slow getting through the submissions and PMs, but I'll try my best to keep up with you guys!

Thanks for reading!  
\- Brenn


	4. Chapter One

Romain woke to a deadweight on his legs and a slight chill over his bare chest. He blinked several times to clear away the bleariness of sleep, and discovered that the source to both the numbness in his legs and his missing blanket was Eden, who was grinning down at Romain from his position on top of him.

"Morning," he said. "Your mother wanted me to come and wake you up."

"I highly doubt that," Romain said, pushing him away. "You probably heard her tell my assistant to do it and you decided to beat her to it."

Eden tried to reach over and smack him, something that was made much more difficult by the fact that he was now sprawled on the ground beside the bed. "Maybe you shouldn't have made me Captain of the Royal Guard and given me automatic access to every room in this castle, then."

"Umeko's going to be pissed," Romain reminded him. His assistant was very new, but had already proved herself both competent and a bit too concerned about the state of palace security - Romain often found her giving long lectures to guards who she thought weren't doing their jobs properly.

"How long do I have before she gets here?"

"Thirty seconds?" Romain looked over the edge of the bed at his guard. "Maybe you should hide before she tries to write you up for not doing your job."

"...that's true," Eden said, managing to wedge himself in the closet and closing it moments before the bedroom door opened.

"I really hope you actually have clothes on, because you've had thirty minutes to get ready and I'm not waiting any longer"

"Wait, Umeko -"

A young woman who seemed to be the epitome of professionalism, what with her sleek black hair tied neatly up in a bun and her crisply ironed pants, strode into the room. She threw open the curtains, flooding the room with dazzlingly bright light. Romain cringed, both at sudden brightness and at the thought of the no doubt imminent scolding from Umeko he was about to receive.

"You slept in again, didn't you."

"...Yes. I did."

His assistant sighed. "You know you're supposed to go meet the Selected in an hour, right? They don't pay me enough to put up with you, Romain."

"Sorry?" Romain offered feebly, not at all surprised when Umeko just sighed again.

"Just...get dressed, at least," she said. "And meet me in the gardens in twenty minutes. If you don't, I'm going to resign and you're going to have to find someone else who's willing to put up with your lazy ass."

Romain waited in silence for a few moments after Umeko had exited the room, before speaking. "Eden, you can come out now. Actually, while you're in there, get me one of my suits."

Eden stumbled out, holding up a hanger with a dark grey suit and tossed Romain a navy blue tie. "I don't know why you bother. You'd probably make a bigger impression on them if you just met them in your pyjamas or something."

Romain had just barely finished adjusting his tie when his door was flung open again, this time by a girl with long, gleaming black hair that fell to the waistline of her elegantly cut scarlet dress.

"Morning, Beni," Romain said bemusedly. "Special occasion today?" He inquired, staring at her dress, which shimmered with gold embroidery and clung to her body. It was very different from the simple dresses she usually wore, particularly in combination with the delicate gold bracelets encircling her wrists.

"Of course it is," Benicia said, in a lilting, melodic voice with a light inflection of her Spanish origins. "Not that you seem to care, you have kept the Selected waiting for nearly an hour already. _That_ one," Benicia pointed at Eden, who had made himself comfortable in Romain's bed again. "Was sent to bring you down."

"Told you," Eden muttered. Romain ignored him. Cursing under his breath, he started walking as fast he could while still looking dignified down to the garden. Benicia followed at an impressively quick pace, considering the fact that her shoes were nearly two inches tall. There was a yell of annoyance from Eden at being left behind, and within seconds, he'd caught up to the two of them. Romain nearly bumped into a servant in his haste, but could only offer several fumbling apologies, still half-jogging down to the gardens.

" _Idiota_ ," she complained, but Romain knew she didn't really mean it. Eight years of living with her had him attuned to almost all of her habits and quirks.

"Why are you meeting them, anyway?" He asked. Benicia was too refined to roll her eyes, but Romain could sense her exasperation through her regal air.

"Because I am _Infanta_ Benicia of Spain. What would Illéa think if the Spanish Princess staying in the palace did not come to greet the future Queen? I imagine it would cause almost as grand of a scandal as the Prince sleeping through his own Selection welcome party."

"Okay, you've made your point," Romain said, as Eden laughed. "Where's the party?"

"Around the corner, here," Benicia replied. Romain and Eden followed her as she led them through the gardens.

Whoever had planned the party had placed it in the rose gardens; Romain personally hated the heavy, overpowering smell of the flowers that seemed to permeate every inch of the castle as soon as one so much as opened the doors that lead to the garden. There were tables set up, with the Selected mingling around idly with several other officials and staff who had been deemed important enough to attend.

The music seemed to end right as he stepped outside. _Way to make an entrance_ , he thought, almost halting, but Umeko, who had materialised out of nowhere, held onto his arm and near-dragged him over to the party.

"Go and talk to them," she practically hissed into his ear, before walking off, presumably to yell at another guard for looking too tired.

Romain looked around at the small assembled group of people, who had resumed their socializing while stealing glances at him when they thought he wasn't looking. He walked over to the nearest girl - this one wearing a dark blue dress and looking just as nervous as he felt - and made a hasty introduction.

"Hi."

"Oh! Good morning."

"Thanks. What's your name..?"

"Olivia de los Angeles Martí," she said, all in one breath. For some reason her hand was covering her mouth, making it a bit hard for Romain to understand her. "Um. You can just call me Olivia, if you want. Or not! It doesn't matter, really."

He nodded, and she continued to speak. "This is a really beautiful venue, isn't it? Do you know who planted it?"

"Probably a gardener," he mumbled, before giving her a firm handshake and making a quick exit.

The next few Selected quickly faded from his memory. He noted a girl from a high-status family walking by - he remembered her from some private military fundraising event - and they made uncomfortable eye contact for a moment. She had been walking with another one of the Selected, and that one turned to look at him as well, waving a bit shyly before turning her attention away. Another girl with striking, ice-blue eyes and blonde hair dropped Romain a quick curtsey without once smiling at him.

Umeko had snagged one of the men from the group and was now leading him over to where Romain was standing.

"Romain!"

"Yeah?"

"I want you to meet Prince Xiumin Xue."

Romain nodded. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," Xiumin said. They both continued to stand there awkwardly. Umeko seemed to be quite unhappy about where the conversation was going.

"So!" She glared at Romain. "Xiumin. 您好吗?"

"不错啊。天气很好!"

"真的是！你可以着夹克，可是你不是要!"

"Hey," said another girl, butting in on the conversation, although not in an unfriendly manner. She seemed nice enough to Romain, at least. "My name's Kathleen."

"Hi," Umeko said, clearly wishing that she was anywhere but here at the moment. She looked over at Romain and shooed him away, gesturing at the remaining Selected at the party.

He immediately ran into another man in a suit (they were all in suits today, weren't they?) but Romain managed to get away with shaking his hand and then excusing himself.

He was running out of patience, and wanted nothing more than to leave the garden and hole up somewhere, preferably where Umeko would never be able to find him. As he tried to weave his way through the people crowded in the garden, he tripped on a loose rock and let out a cry of surprise, bracing himself for an embarrassing fall. Before he could smash his face against the hard stone pathways, however, he felt himself literally swept off his feet, with someone's arm wrapped tightly around his waist. He looked up to see a young man with dirty blond hair, his hazel eyes gleaming with interest.

"I know I'm attractive and all," he said, helping Romain back to his feet. "But really, there's no need to fall for me so soon."

Romain was ready to go crawl into his closet and never return, when another two of the guests came over, ostensibly to help, although he wondered if they were just there to see him embarrass himself. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he said, before remembering that he should probably learn their names while he was at it. "Are you two Selected?"

One of the girls nodded. "I'm Ivelisse. Ivy, I guess. I know it's hard to pronounce."

"Cynthia," the other one said. He promised to catch up with both of them later and continued making his way back to the glass doors that lead back into the palace, hoping that he could beat a hasty retreat before Eden and Umeko could catch him and drag him back to the party.

He noticed two girls, one dark-haired and the other one blonde, standing behind a rosebush, which was frankly an odd place for them to be, and he decided to try and get closer to listen on on their conversation after he heard one of them raise their voice in anger. Maybe he could break up their argument, whatever it was - it wouldn't do for the Selected to be fighting with each other when they just met.

" - what are you doing? You've got a lot of nerve, showing your face here," the blonde girl said.

"It's not like you have any more of a right to be here, especially after what happened - "

"Really? Then -" She noticed Romain, and immediately ended the conversation, turning away and walking back towards the rest of the Selected. He was about to approach the other girl when Umeko rushed in. She had clearly been running around trying to make sure everything ran smoothly, and had probably heard the argument at the same time as Romain.

"I hope we're all behaving ourselves," she said icily, sizing up the dark-haired girl. "What was your name again?"

"Valentina," she said, now visibly nervous. Umeko seemed to consider that for a moment before nodding slowly and sending the girl off to talk with some of the other guests.

"Romain, weren't you supposed to be socializing?" she asked, and he knew that he'd been caught.

He figured that he only had a few of the Selected left to meet at this point. He shook hands and nodded at a few more of them, their faces and names all blurring into one mess that he didn't even want to sort through. _I'll look over the files later_ , he thought as he smiled at a girl with wavy brown hair and brown eyes. _I should be able to convince them that I remember all of them._

Romain finally met up with Eden again as the party started to wind down, the guests dispersing and the Selected chatting amongst themselves. "What'd you think of the Selected?" he asked. Eden seemed to find that question funny.

"Can't say much about them yet," he said, "unless you want me to talk about security risk and clearances and all that stuff Umeko's been hounding me about. I don't really like her, though." He pointed at a girl with caramel brown hair tied into a bun and a green dress. "Umeko doesn't either."

"It's not your Selection," Romain said, bumping his shoulder.

"Can't say that I wish it was." The pager hanging by his side went off once. "Well, it was nice talking to you, but there's some kind of security threat up front. See ya."

"Shouldn't you be more concerned about that?" Romain called after him, but Eden just made finger guns and ran off around the corner.

Romain suppressed a sigh as he realised that he was now virtually alone with a number of strangers he didn't know, who all had some sort of expectation for him to live up to, or at least a preconceived notion about who he was and what he was like. And not only was Eden's departure unfortunate in that Romain was left at the party with no friendly, familiar face in sight, the implications of Eden's sudden call away concerned him. There'd been so many of these security threats recently, Romain could hardly remember the last time he'd had a proper conversation with Eden without him being abruptly called away halfway through it.

For the second time in as many days, Romain found himself longing to be able to do something instead of sitting idly around, waiting for the conflict he could sense was rising in the kingdom to come knocking at his door. As he stared out at the Selected, their faces and names blurring together so that he could barely differentiate between them, he couldn't help but think that he would end up disappointing them and all of Illéa...perhaps dooming them all in the process.

* * *

Hey guys! Sorry for taking so long to upload; school's been really busy and I haven't had time to write much. We're starting to see the Selected characters, but don't worry if your character doesn't really appear in this chapter; they'll have plenty of opportunities to shine in the rest of the story. I just wanted to get Romain introduced to most of them, and to set up some things for the next couple chapters.

Just in case you haven't read our updated description: the Selected characters list is now full. Thank you so much to everyone who submitted a character! I'm sorry that I couldn't accept all of them, but I appreciate the interest in this story, nonetheless.

Thanks for reading!  
\- Brenn


	5. Chapter Two

Romain had been moping around in the library for most of the day. Both Eden and Benicia, along with his father, had been called to a meeting that was apparently of crucial importance. Romain was uncharacteristically exempt from having to go - and ordinarily, he would have welcomed it, but his mother had informed him (in no uncertain terms) that he was expected to use the time to get to know the Selected.

Apparently they were all at another gathering, this time some sort of lunch. Romain was getting tired of wandering through parties and pretending that he remembered everyone's names. He hesitated outside the door, hearing the soft, constant murmur of polite conversation, and contemplated whether or not to go in. The prospect of slipping away from the palace by himself was looking more and more appealing.

It had been weeks since Romain had left the palace at his own liberty. No one would notice if he left for the stables and went out for a quick ride in the grounds...right?

The sound of heels clicking on the floors of the palace made him start guiltily, turning to see his mother looking coolly, expressionlessly down at him. Despite the fact that Romain was much taller and broader than she was, her unfailing, perfect composure and confidence always made him feel very small and insignificant.

"Romain." The Queen took in his attire, from his black boots and tan riding breeches to his leather gloves. "Are you going somewhere?"

 _Well, there goes_ that _plan_. "Um...just out riding?" It came out sounding much less assured and much guiltier than he had intended it to be. "I was going to invite a couple of the Selected to come with me," he added hastily. The Queen would see right through the lie, he knew - Romain had never been good at deception. But at least this way, she couldn't actually blame him for anything.

It was funny how a few minutes ago, Romain could think of nothing worse than forcing himself to go into the room with the Selected gathered inside. Now, though, he was seriously contemplating throwing himself to them and giving himself up to their every whim just to escape the Queen's coldly disapproving gaze. He compromised by mumbling something vague and mostly incoherent to the Queen, and stumbling rather gracelessly into the room.

He glanced around, feeling the heat rise into his face. Nobody seemed to be paying him much attention though - it appeared to be lunchtime, and the Selected were grouped around small round tables, some of them conversing comfortably with each other, while others sat in stony silence.

"Um," Romain said eloquently, aware of the Queen's presence behind him, knowing that he had to follow through with his promise. "I - everyone? Hello?"

One of the girls at the table nearest to him stopped mid-sentence and dropped her sandwich at the sight of him. When the rest of the table noticed the reason for her reaction, they fell silent and stared, too. WIthin seconds, the entire room was quiet and focused on him, which absolutely did not help Romain's desire to sink through the floor and never return.

"I'm planning on going out for a ride. On horseback, that is. With the horses. I - does anyone want to come with me?" He stammered. If Eden or Benicia were here, he'd probably have been able to more smoothly deliver his question, but then again, they would probably have also teased him relentlessly about the situation in general for days afterwards.

It was only after he asked the assembled group of Selected that he realized most of them probably hadn't been near a horse in their life.

"You don't have to go," he added hastily. He wondered if they could all not go, and then he could return to reading or other pursuits that involved not talking to people.

One of the few men that had been Selected caught his eye, flashing Romain a smirk when they made eye contact. Romain blushed, his embarrassment only growing when he realized that he had been the one to catch him after his clumsy stumble at the welcome gathering. "I'd love to go," he drawled. "It's a beautiful day...but of course, not as beautiful as you, your highness."

Romain was certain that if he blushed any harder, he would spontaneously combust.

The rest of the Selected seemed far less willing, but Romain eventually managed to scrounge up several other people who seemed to know how to ride, or were willing enough to try. He ran through their names in his head again. The blonde one was named Maverick. The three girls trailing behind him were Ivelisse, Cynthia and Lace.

At the very back, almost jogging to keep up, was Valentina. Romain doubted that she had even wanted to go in the first place, but Umeko had pushed her towards the door, whispering something to her that Romain hadn't been able to catch.

There was a member of the royal guard already standing by the door, presumably sent by the Queen. Romain nodded to as he fell in with the Selected, bringing up the rear. He supposed that he couldn't expect that he and the Selected would be allowed to go through the woods without any sort of protection. He would've preferred Eden, but at least any the members of the royal guard didn't usually feel the need to talk unnecessarily.

"You guys can wait outside," he suggested, mostly just to break the uncomfortable silence that had settled over them as he led them out of the castle. None of them really responded, except for the redheaded girl, who nodded and smiled in a faintly encouraging, friendly sort of way, but Romain decided to take their silence as agreement.

Romain felt his spirits lift marginally as he approached the stables, starting to smile when he saw a familiar finely-shaped dark head peering out of the stall. Her ears were angled towards him, and her dark eyes were bright as she whickered softly in greeting.

"Hey, Dawn," he said, stroking her muzzle. "Miss me?"

He'd been given Black Dawn when he was only sixteen - well, not quite _given_. Black Dawn's mother had died while foaling. He'd begged his father to let him keep the weak foal, and had been grudgingly permitted to nurse her back to full health.

Romain didn't like to think about it much, but horses were much more delicate than most people thought. Back when he and Ophélie were younger, they would talk about horses all the time; his little sister was fascinated by biology and animals in particular. Of course, that had all stopped when she suddenly decided that he wasn't worth talking to.

He noticed that Black Dawn, along with several other horses, had already been saddled up. No doubt Umeko had given orders for the servants to run on ahead of them and prepare the horses, not wanting to waste any of the time that Romain could be spending on socializing with the Selected. One by one, he led the saddled horses out to where the Selected were waiting.

"Choose a horse, I guess, and we'll get going."

He watched as some of the Selected hesitantly approached the horses, most of them looking wary and uncertain - well, all of them, really, except for Maverick (did _anything_ faze him?), who approached one of the horses - a somewhat wild stallion named Casanova - with confidence. He only raised an eyebrow when Casanova snorted and stamped the ground, waiting until the stallion had quieted to swing one long leg easily over his back.

Within a few moments, most of the Selected had made their way onto their horses - albeit clumsily, and looking a little nervous (though most of them seem reassured when all of the horses stood docile and still and didn't attempt to buck off their riders), all but for one of the girls - Romain was fairly sure her name was Lace - who had an air of good-humoured confusion.

"I've never done this before," she informed him, though she didn't look particularly put off by that fact. "And I'm not nearly as tall as everyone else is. I thought it'd be an interesting thing to try, though," she added cheerfully, apparently sensing Romain's question before it came.

Her friendliness put Romain more at ease, and he found himself relaxing a little. She didn't seem to mind, at least, that Romain had barely showed his face around the Selected and had been less-than-courteous to most of them. "It's all right," he said, stepping away from Black Dawn to offer his hand to her. "I'll help. Just put your foot in there - and then step up -"

He guided her through it, keeping his arm around her waist and tightening his grip when she wobbled forwards. Both of them laughed - Lace with bright eyes and genuine amusement, and Romain awkwardly and averting his gaze - when Romain's arm lingered around her waist unintentionally for a half-second longer than was strictly needed. He withdrew hastily, quickly mounting Black Dawn.

"Come on," he called over his shoulder. "We'll just ride through a short trail through the forest."

Romain led them through the small forest that stood behind the expansive gardens. The rhythmic, muted steps of the horses were a steady beat against the gentle trills of birds and rustle of small animals through fallen leaves.

He realized abruptly that none of the Selected were talking, and an uncomfortable silence seemed to have settled over them.

"So...nice weather we've been getting," he said, bypassing all of his etiquette lessons and proceeding immediately to the worst line of conversation possible.

There was a chorus of agreement among the Selected, and then another long silence. Romain wanted to point out something interesting in the scenery, but there was a definite lack of features that were not trees or grass.

"Yeah, it's been really nice weather," one of the girls said from the back, trying to extend the conversation. "We don't get as many sunny days where I come from."

"Oh, where's that?"

"Columbia."

Romain tried to think of a response. "That's nice. Um, my sister really likes rhododendrons; she tried to grow some in the greenhouses. That's the provincial flower, right?"

"Yeah. We learned about it in school." the girl in the back said, effectively shutting down their already awkward exchange. Romain took a quick glance back at the Selected; Maverick was definitely trying to hide his laughter, while two of the girls were engaged in their own quiet conversation.

 _Alright_ , Romain thought to himself. _I'll just let them enjoy the scenery_. It really was a pleasant day, and he missed being able to leave the castle on extended excursions. Being in the forest was calming, even when he was accompanied by a group of people he didn't know and who were all trying to hide how uncomfortable they felt.

There was a sudden sound of galloping in the distance, and before Romain even had time to do more than wonder briefly who it could be, a lone horse and rider burst into view from one of the side paths veering off from the trail they were on. Romain let out a yell of surprise, both Black Dawn and the other horse rearing upwards as they nearly collided with each other.

"Ebony Flame?" Romain said, staring at the only other jet-black horse in the royal stables, and the only one with such a regrettable name. He turned his attention to Ebony's rider, blinking in surprise when he recognized the glossy sheen of dark chestnut hair and a heavily embroidered riding jacket that she always wore. "Ophélie?"

If Ophélie was as surprised as Romain was at having encountered each other in the forest, she didn't show it. "Watch where you're going," she snapped, pulling on Ebony's reins so that the mare turned onto the main path. "Honestly, can't you do anything right?"

"What?" Romain asked in disbelief. "You were the one who nearly crashed into me!"

"You're supposed to check if anyone's coming down the side trails before crossing them," Ophélie said. "It's like looking both ways before crossing the road. Common sense. But I suppose that you're sorely lacking in that department."

"Why are you even here, anyway?" Romain demanded, unable to find a response to her barbs. Ophélie let out a short, sharp little laugh.

"Doing something more productive than prancing around in the woods. What must Illéa think - not only is their Prince and next King unable to even show his face at his own lessons, he needs help finding someone that might even be the slightest bit interested in marrying him."

Romain was used to Ophélie's insults, but they still hurt. "Don't you have somewhere else to be too?" he asked in an attempt to shoo her off. He was painfully aware of the fact that the Selected were still behind him, silently watching the interaction, their opinion of him likely plummeting each second he stayed motionless and struggling to breathe, to not let the unanticipated pain that Ophélie's words had struck in him show on his face.

Without bothering to give Romain a response, Ophélie spurred Ebony forwards at a gallop, skimming past one of the Selected so that Ebony brushed against her horse. The girl let out a cry of shock as her horse danced nervously to the side, rearing up on his hind legs and plunging forwards into the woods.

"Whoa there!" Romain yelled. "Odyssey!" He jerked on Dawn's reins, pointing her towards the direction where Odyssey and his rider had disappeared. "Take the rest of the Selected back to the castle!" He called back at the guard, not waiting for a response. "Come on, Dawn," he urged.

They sped through the forest, Romain bent over Dawn's neck as he guided her along the path. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw Odyssey and his rider up ahead, the gelding still tossing his head nervously, but no longer racing wildly through the woods and with his rider still very much intact on top of him, even if she seemed a little shaken.

"Are you alright?" He pulled up beside her, grabbing onto Odyssey's reins just in case he spooked again. The girl dismounted shakily, but with much more grace than Romain would have expected.

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied, her voice breathless but steady. Her long caramel hair had become dishevelled, the formerly loose waves windswept and a little tangled, but her eyes weren't wide with shock, so Romain figured that she was telling the truth. "Are you?" She added unexpectedly.

Romain blinked, unsure what she was asking. "I'm not the one that was carried off into the woods by a panicked horse on my first time out riding."

"No, not that," she said, and though she sounded utterly serious, he could see a hint of humour glinting in her blue-green eyes. _Is she laughing at me?_ Romain wondered. "Earlier. That was your sister, right? Princess Ophélie?"

"Yes," Romain said slowly, not sure where she was going with this. "It was." _Oh._ Was she concerned for him because of what Ophélie had said? _Am I that obvious?_ He thought a little bitterly.

"Sorry, I saw your expression after she said what she did," the girl said, sounding genuinely apologetic. "For what it's worth, though, I don't think any of the other Selected noticed. You never answered my question, though. Are you okay?"

Romain took his time responding, dismounting from Dawn and beckoning at her so that she followed obediently at his heels while he started to lead Odyssey out of the forest. His rider - what was her name again? _Ophélie was right. I really am hopeless at this_. "It isn't anything I haven't heard before."

"That still doesn't answer my question," she pointed out. "I'm Cynthia, by the way. It's all right, I figured you'd forget, there _are_ a lot of us," she said, apparently anticipating Romain's impending apology. "Siblings are sort of awful sometimes, aren't they?"

Romain started to smile at her matter-of-fact tone. "Yeah? Do you have a lot of experience with that?"

"I've got five older brothers at home. We have a lot of arguments."

"Probably not about the one that's most capable of ruling the kingdom, though, right?"

"Well, no," Cynthia admitted. "They usually have something to do with money. A big family of Fives doesn't really make enough money to go around. Still, though, at the end of the day, we're all still family, and that matters more than anything else."

Romain smiled, suddenly feeling quite a bit more cheerful. "So, do you think Ophélie and I are going to become the best of friends one day, and realize we spent over ten years fighting over, I don't know, a misunderstanding?"

"Don't rule it out. She probably cares about you...deep down."

Romain shook his head, laughing. "You don't know about the time she went to the trouble of unhemming every single one of my pants in revenge, because I accidentally bumped into her the day before and made her stumble in front of a diplomat. I was tripping over myself all day."

Cynthia laughed, her eyes bright with amusement. "Oh, that's nothing. One time, my brother Derek hid all of my performance clothes and swapped them with West's - my oldest brother. I had to sing in a suit at least eight sizes too big for me."

Romain was nearly breathless with laughter. "Okay, fine, you win this round. Well, one time Aurelien, my younger brother…"

The two of them exchanged stories all the way back to the stables. Romain bid her goodbye, staying behind to hand the horses back over to the stable boy.

After leaving the stables, Romain decided to take a detour, using the winding footpath that went between the greenhouses and behind the fountains. _At least I managed to talk to one of them,_ he thought, kicking a pebble out of the way. He might not have been the greatest public speaker, but he did enjoy one-on-one conversation; maybe he could get to know the Selected slowly, and even find some kind of friendship along the way.

Romain smiled to himself as he approached the palace, feeling more optimistic than he had in days.

His optimism faded quickly when he saw what awaited him at the end of the path. There were at least five guards standing in front of the back doors to the palace, including Eden, who ran forwards to greet him, a frown etched into his usually relaxed features.

"We need to get you back inside. Security issue," Eden said. Several of the guards were already moving through the gardens, looking as though they were searching for something.

"What happened?" Romain asked, startled.

Eden looked around to make sure no one was listening. "I'm not really supposed to tell you this, but...do you remember that princess that came to stay with us a month ago?"

"Oh, the Tsar's older sister? The Russian princess. She was here to renegotiate the alliance, right?"

Eden nodded. "Yeah, her. She…" he lowered his voice. "She was found dead this morning. Just lying in her bed with a gun on the sheets beside her."

"But the deal was just about to go through -" Romain could barely believe that he had just been thinking about how beautiful the morning was. If the alliance fell through now, Illea would find herself more alone than ever before, all while tensions brewed within her provinces.

"I know," Eden said, his eyes downcast. He looked as though he wanted to say more, but he just patted Romain on the shoulder and gently pushed him away.

 _What's going on?_ Romain thought in distress. It was rare that Eden was so solemn and uncharacteristically quiet - he kept waiting for him to turn around and offer him a grin, maybe tease him a little about the morning spent with the Selected, but it never came.

And to think that interacting with the Selected had been his biggest concern at the beginning of the day. Now, though, Romain had to wonder whether he should be fearing for his life.

* * *

Hey everyone!

Sorry it's been so long (a month!) between updates! Again, I've been trying to focus on my schoolwork. But I'm glad that I got this chapter done, and since I do have some free time I should be able to get another chapter up soon.

Speaking of the story itself - more plot is going to start happening soon, and some of the Selected characters will be heavily involved with it. I'll try to continue to give individual characters moments to shine, like I did in this chapter. There's also going to be a POV switch in the next chapter - can you guess who it's going to be?

Thanks again for submitting all of these wonderful characters and continuing to read and support my story (even when I take forever to update)!

\- Brenn


	6. Chapter Three

**Warning: there is some mention of blood and murder/suicide in this chapter. It's not graphic at all, although if you want to skip the most descriptive parts (which aren't too descriptive), it starts at 'The entire room looked like it had been through a hurricane' and finishes at the page break. You might miss some plot but Eden will catch you up on it at the end of the chapter ;)**

* * *

"Sorry about this," Eden muttered to Benicia as two other members of the royal guard escorted her to her quarters. "We'll figure out what's going on. For now, though, the palace is on lockdown - we have to make sure there's no additional threat, especially to you and the Everaerds."

"It is all right," said Benicia reasonably, looking remarkably unfazed by everything that was going on. Then again, Benicia had always been the most effortlessly dignified of all the young royals at the castle. "Take as long as you need to. It is your duty to ensure our safety, after all."

Eden watched Benicia go, until the sound of an argument reached his ears. He looked down the hall to the source of the commotion, raising an eyebrow when he saw a skinny figure with a mop of brown hair in the middle of it.

" _Prince Aurelien_ ," Eden's fellow guard said in a somewhat desperate, despairing tone. "The palace is under lockdown. For your own safety, we must ask that you go to your quarters and remain there until we tell you otherwise."

Aurelien opened his mouth to retort angrily, his arms crossed defiantly across his chest, but before he could say anything, Eden cut him off.

"You're taking this security threat seriously, Aurelien, I hope?" He called, crossing the hallway to stand by the youngest royal, vaguely pleased to note that Aurelien still hadn't quite hit a growth spurt so that Eden still towered over him. "Go to your quarters and stay there until we tell you it's safe to leave. We already have guards stationed there."

Aurelien set his jaw stubbornly, glaring at Eden. "Whatever," he snorted. "You're just a soldier. You can't tell me what to do."

'First of all, I'm the Captain of the Royal Guard," Eden muttered under his breath. "Aurelien, this isn't a game, you know," Eden said louder, his voice hardening. Aurelien had never particularly liked him - most likely because Ophélie didn't, which was most definitely because Romain did. Eden had never particularly cared, unlike Romain - which, he supposed, made sense, seeing as Romain was unfortunately related to the little brat - but there were actual lives at stake at the moment.

"Aurelien?"

Eden had never been so relieved to hear Ophélie's voice. She had apparently just returned from her ride out through the castle grounds, just like Romain - her normally pale face was slightly flushed from either excitement or exertion, but her eyes were as cold as ever. "Captain," she added formally, glancing at Eden, who resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He'd known her since she was a precocious seven-year-old, acknowledging that he had a name would have been nice - but then again, Ophélie didn't really do 'nice'. "I trust that you've informed my brother about the situation?"

 _No, I've just spent the past half hour after being told that the Russian princess was found dead getting my nails done_. "Of course," he said aloud, not able to hold back the sarcasm that crept into his voice. _Both of them_ , he added silently. _Though, as you can see, one of them is being a lot more difficult than the other_.

"Come then, Aurelien," Ophélie suggested. "We'll both go to my quarters." She met Eden's eyes coolly, as if daring him to argue. Aurelien scowled, but vocalized no objections, apparently satisfied to go with his sister.

 _Whatever, the security threat is more important than dealing with rebellious teenagers_ , Eden thought. "Double the security around Princess Ophélie's room," Eden snapped at the guards around him, who rushed to obey, accompanying the two royals to Ophélie's quarters.

 _That's all of the Everaerds, and Benicia,_ he thought, mentally running through a list of the castle's inhabitants and starting to make his way to the Russian princess' room. _Then all we have to do is reassure the Selected -_

He stopped in his tracks. _The Selected_. Dammit, he'd missed a royal.

"Where's Prince Xiumin?" He demanded of the guards around him.

"In his provided room, like the rest of the Selected," one of them replied. She seemed about to say more, but Eden had already left, cursing under his breath, to find Prince Xiumin's room. There was only one guard stationed throughout the entire hallway - not for the first time, Eden wondered furiously why the King and Queen refused to hire more guards, it was _their_ damn safety at stake - who saluted Eden as he nearly sprinted past him and knocked insistently on the door.

Eden held his breath anxiously when there was no immediate response, letting out an exhale of relief when the door opened to reveal a confused-looking young man wavy hair as dark as Eden's, but much longer, and half-lidded hazel eyes. "Captain," he said in a soft, slightly hesitant voice. "Is there a problem?"

"Not exactly," Eden admitted. "But the royals in the castle are our greatest concern at the moment." He ran through the positions of all his guards throughout the castle, resisting the urge to swear in front of the New Asian Prince when he realized that he couldn't safely move any of them from their positions to guard Prince Xiumin's door. That left two options: either leave the prince as he was and hope that he didn't die, or move him to a place of greater security.

Ophélie's room was out - no doubt either she or Aurelien would torment Xiumin to no end if he stayed with them. Benicia would most definitely not appreciate having a foreign prince that she'd never officially met before in her private quarters, though it was a better option than sticking Xiumin with the King and Queen. Still, though, that left only one reasonable option. _I might as well help Romain along with the Selection_.

He relayed this all to Prince Xiumin, who mumbled something so quickly that Eden didn't catch it, though he doubted he would have understood it even if he had. "I have no objection," he said in English, only marginally louder. It was probably a bad idea to literally lock the clearly quite soft-spoken Prince and Romain, with all his fumbling awkwardness, together in a room, but at this point Eden was exasperated enough with the terrible state of security in the palace that he no longer cared.

"Fantastic," Eden said, realizing a little belatedly that he probably shouldn't be so informal with foreign royalty. He made his way as fast as he could to Romain's room, up on the next floor, Prince Xiumin following a few steps behind. "Romain!" He yelled, as the guards by his door parted to let Eden pass, the four of them looking at Xiumin curiously. He waved Xiumin in as soon as Romain opened the door, the latter looking utterly confused to see the two of them there. "He'll explain, see you later, don't get up to anything inappropriate!" He called over his shoulder as he ran back down the hallway, leaving behind a spluttering Romain.

 _All right, everyone that's in any sort of immediate danger has been returned to their rooms. Time to investigate,_ Eden thought to himself. He really hoped that no one had been let into the room already besides the guards who had discovered the body and the doctor, although he knew not to expect too much. Few of the guards had been trained in investigative procedure; even fewer had actual common sense. Eden had to wonder where they were getting the guards from nowadays, with how incompetent they were becoming.

From the doorway of the princess' room Eden could see corner of the bed, but not much else. He was about to enter the room when he heard footsteps coming down the hallway - it was one of the Selected, looking a bit lost and very concerned.

"Are you okay?" He asked, stepping away from the bedroom. Eden was fairly good with names, but the sheer number of Selected meant that it was impossible to remember all of them. Besides, that was Romain's job, not his. He was just there to manage security with his team of incompetent guards.

"Yeah, I - I just heard what was happening, and I was told to go back to my room, except I think I got lost. I don't need you to take me back, but maybe you could point me in the right direction?" Her dark brown eyes were wide and earnest.

Eden would have preferred to start going through the evidence as quickly as possible, but he had an obligation to help. "Of course. What's your name?"

She stared at him for a second before answering, almost as if the question didn't make sense. "Oh. Valentina."

"Great. I'm Eden. If you just follow the hallway back the way you came, turn right and then go through the dining room, there should be a staircase leading upstairs to your rooms." He started gently steering her away from the bedroom and towards the end of the hallway. The last thing he needed right now was for one of the Selected to find the crime scene and start rumours about it with the others.

Valentina still seemed distressed by something, though, and she stopped abruptly before they turned the corner. "Eden? Is the palace still safe?" She asked quietly.

"Yep, we're just taking precautions right now," he said, though it was mostly a lie. An extensive search of the palace grounds had turned up no evidence and no suspect, meaning that whoever did it - if there was a killer in the first place - had either escaped, or was still in the palace.

Neither possibility was very comforting. There was either a flaw in their security large enough for someone to slip through unnoticed, or there were criminals hiding right beneath their noses.

"Precautionary measures," she repeated slowly.

"Just securing the premises. Nothing special; we do that before big events too, like the garden party you were at."

Valentina nodded. "How about Prince Romain? Is he okay?"

Eden wondered if the Selected were supposed to be this concerned about Romain already, especially considering his less-than-charismatic personality. "He's fine. Like I said, it's all just precautionary measures."

That answer seemed to be enough for her. "Thank you," Valentina said, giving him a quick curtsy and vanishing around the corner.

By the time Eden returned to the princess' room there were two other guards outside, waiting for his orders. He had one of them wait outside the room and prevent others from entering, while the other one would help him out inside the room.

Eden glanced at the badge clipped to the guard's waistband, looking for a name or rank. Of course they'd designed the things to be as impractical as possible - a last name in tiny letters and a huge royal seal, and absolutely no other information. "Do you have any kind of training, Grayson?"

"...I went through some basic crime scene training?" He said. "It's been a couple years, but I think I remember most of it."

"Great. Just don't touch anything, okay? We're just going to do a quick walkthrough of the crime scene." Eden slowly pushed open the door to what had been the Russian princess' rooms.

The entire room looked like it had been through a hurricane. The chairs were overturned, glasses were broken, and dozens of papers were scattered on the ground. The desk was the worst off - an inkwell had been tipped over, staining the table and the nearby carpet black.

"Wow." He exhaled. "This looks a lot worse than I thought it would." He approached the bed, careful not to step on any broken glass or spilled ink. There were bloodstains on the sheets - two clusters of them, as he would expect from a gunshot wound. A large group of small stains were on the left side of the bed, while a more significant pool was on the right. Someone had come in and removed the princess' body, but he could still see the indentation on the bed where she had lain before being discovered. The first guard to enter the room told Eden earlier that he thought it was a suicide; it had certainly looked like it at first.

"Is there anything that might be missing from her room?" He asked Grayson.

"I would say the murder weapon, but it's still on the bed...she carried this bag full of papers around with her a lot. Is that still here?"

Eden glanced around the room, spotting the briefcase on top of a dresser. "Is that supposed to be open?" There were no papers inside, just a few pens and a broken watch. "Grayson. I know I told you not to touch anything, but I need you to check the papers on the ground. See if they're important."

The guard did so, carefully flipping over a few of the pages. He stood up and shook his head. "They're all blank. Probably for taking notes."

That meant the documents were missing, probably stolen. "That's not good," Eden said. 'Could you start letting the guards know that we have to keep an eye out for any documents with the Russian coat of arms on it?"

Grayson nodded and ran out the door, leaving Eden alone in the room.

Eden stepped carefully around the mess on the floor, staring around the room with eyes narrowed in suspicion. Of course, it would be easiest to declare a suicide and have done with the whole thing, but something about the situation just seemed off. The princess had been a reserved person, it was true, but she was nothing if not determined and regal. Granted, it wasn't really Eden's place to start making assumptions, but she hadn't seemed like someone to suddenly kill herself, especially not without at least leaving a note or telling someone like the Tsar.

And, speaking of which, Eden had his own rulers to report to. He took one last, lingering look around the room and stepped out, making his way to the King and Queen's guarded sector.

* * *

"If the documents were stolen, it was most likely a rebel plot to assassinate the Russian princess," Eden said. Neither the King nor the Queen looked very impressed by what he was saying. "But the fact that the gun was still there and the autopsy indicates a suicide, or a very unlucky accident. None of it makes sense, to be honest."

The King looked at him for a moment, likely contemplating what to say next. "Have the official report say it was an accident."

"Your Majesty, we're not even sure that it is yet -"

"Do you know how bad this looks if we declare it a murder?" The King interrupted. "The Russian princess dead in _our_ palace, days before we secure an alliance. And when they ask for the documents back, we have to tell them that we can't find them. It looks like we offed her, stole the documents, and pinned it on some convenient rebels. Do you understand?"

Eden tried his best to keep his expression neutral. "Yes. I'll have the official report changed."

"Good," the King said, looking more tired and weary than Eden had ever seen him. "I don't like it either, but that's how it has to be."

 _That's what he always says,_ Eden thought, bowing one more time before exiting the room as the King and Queen started to talk in low voices. He paid them no attention; his mind was still reeling after his realization of what today's events implied.

A threat to the palace from the outside was easily fixed: he could demand for more guards to be stationed here, and the King and Queen might have to conscript more citizens, but that was a simple enough solution. But the fact that the documents were stolen, in the short time that it had taken for Eden to ensure the safety of the royals and the Selected could only mean one thing: that there was someone within the palace who had at least wanted the deal between Illéa and Russia to fail.

But what if that was only the first step? Could it be possible that this was only the beginning to a larger, more sinister plot, a plot that might have been conceived to destroy Illéa herself?

* * *

 _A delicate rose can be nurtured, sheltered, and grown to seek the light. But when the petals begin to fall, what can we do but watch helplessly as it perishes?_

* * *

Hey guys! As an apology for taking so long with the last update, I've managed to write another chapter for all you lovely people. Shout out to everyone who managed to guess that this chapter would be Eden's POV (not that it was particularly hard to guess). Thanks so much to everyone who keeps reviewing, and for understanding how hectic the life of a student can be!

\- Brenn


	7. Interlude: A Complication

"Is this line secure?" Kingston had arrived at Elle's apartment a little while ago, under the cover of darkness. The rebels were numerous, but far more scattered than would be ideal; Elle had the only secure telephone in the area. It was suspicious enough if he was seen entering the building in the early hours of the morning; it would be even more so if their conversation was overheard.

There was a laugh from the other end of the phone, followed by a woman's familiar, somewhat amused voice. "Of course it is. I'm not that willing to die for this rebellion."

"Yeah, okay," he said, a bit embarrassed. Kingston was glad that Elle had ducked into the kitchen to grab some food, sparing him from a week of relentless teasing. "Did you get the papers?"

"I'm looking at them right now. All the guards in this palace is incompetent, except for their captain. He's cute. Kind of your type, actually. But we did have some trouble getting past him."

"Really?" That was a surprise. The southern rebels had told them that palace security was airtight; clearly their information was not reliable. Of course, they were lacking in good informants nowadays, with double agents everywhere. Just a few months ago one of their most important insiders in the police had turned out to be a traitor.

"Like I said. Only competent guard out there." She paused for a moment. "You know Mariana's in the Selection, right?"

No, Kingston had not known that. "The traitor's daughter. She can't be that obtuse, can she? She's got to know that the southern rebels have a hit out on her."

"Oh, she thinks she's clever. Fake name and fake papers. Guess how I found out."

"Some kind of rookie mistake?"

The woman on the other end of the line laughed again. "She used the exact same last name. Same spelling. I took one look at the paper and knew it was her. Besides, she pretty much gave herself away by having a loud argument with your agent."

"Lovelace? She signed herself up; Elle and I had nothing to do with it."

"Losing control over your little rebellion so soon?" Kingston wasn't really sure if she was teasing or not. It wasn't as if the statement was wholly untrue.

He sighed. "Okay, look. Lovelace is crazy. If I kick her out, she'll go and do something stupid." Kingston thought about that for a moment, realizing that their rogue agent had consistently pulled poorly thought-out stunts in the past. "Well - something even worse than what she's doing now. We try to rein her in."

"Hmm." She didn't sound particularly convinced. "If she fails to keep her cover, this whole rebellion could come crashing down around us. If she's going to be an effective spy, she has to realize that this rebellion isn't just about vengeance "

"I'll work with Elle on it." he promised. "Speaking of covers, how's yours holding up?"

'Not bad. I haven't done this in a while, so I made some mistakes. But like I said - everyone here's pretty much oblivious."

Kingston looked at the clock. It was almost three in the morning; it would be late over in Angeles too. "Before I hang up, I just need to know one thing. When are we getting the papers?"

"Soon. Send a runner or something; I'll give them the letter when I can. Or send a carrier hawk."

"That was one time, and it would have worked in theory," he grumbled. "Alright. Stay safe, Mui."

"You too," she said, and then the line went dead.

* * *

Hey guys!

Wow, has two weeks gone past already? I'm awful, I know. Thanks for sticking with me, even through these terribly inconsistent update schedules. Since there was a lot of mystery surrounding the events of the last chapter, and since the next chapter isn't quite ready yet, I thought I'd write another interlude to see the murder and the follow-up in a very different perspective. Hope you guys enjoyed it!

\- Brenn


	8. Chapter Four

_Damn you, Eden_ , Romain thought, staring at the other prince in the room. Prince Xiumin - at least he wouldn't have any trouble remembering his name, he'd grown up hearing about foreign royalty his entire life, and Prince Xiumin, being the heir to the New Asian throne, most certainly fit in that category - looked entirely unfazed by the situation at hand. His gaze swept around the room, his dark eyes watchful, almost as if he was studying Romain, who fought the urge to look away.

"So, um, Eden said you would explain?" Romain's voice seemed to echo strangely in the uncomfortable silence that stretched out between them. Was there a title he was supposed to address Xiumin by? _Probably._ Then again, Xiumin was more or less in his bedroom, so he wasn't quite sure if formalities still applied.

"There is a shortage of guards," Xiumin said. Romain had never heard him speak English before - he had a quiet, deliberate sort of voice, and like Benicia, he had the trace of an accent. His voice rose and fell with the slightest breathy inflections, making his words sound softer and rounder. "I presume that the Captain was reluctant to have a prince so lightly guarded. He has entrusted my safety, it appears, to the numerous guards outside your quarters."

"Oh." That made sense, he supposed. "Did he tell you how long it might be?"

"He did not say."

"Right." Romain glanced a little wildly around for something to do, something to talk about, maybe. What was there to say, though? _Sorry about this, foreign royalty don't usually drop down dead in the middle of the day, I promise._ "Um, do you want to maybe sit down?"

Xiumin regarded him in silence for a few seconds before crossing the room and taking a seat in a chair, his robes sweeping out behind him.

Romain had initially thought that Xiumin looked quite similar to Eden. They had the same glossy, raven-black hair - though Xiumin's fell in waves to his shoulders and Eden's was cropped much shorter - and the same slanted hazel eyes. They were even built the same way - that was to say, much more lean and muscular than Romain was, which made him suspect that Xiumin was not nearly as soft and demure as his delicate robes and quiet demeanor made him seem.

But Eden would never have sat so formally in the chair across from Romain, utterly silent and frankly a little unnerving.

"You are very different now," Xiumin seemed to muse aloud. He murmured something under his breath, something so quick and fleeting that Romain could distinguish nothing but for the fact that it was most definitely not in English. "Not as...how do I describe it? Not as bold, perhaps."

Romain blinked in surprise, his awkwardness forgotten. "Different...now? As opposed to...before?"

"Oh. You don't remember." Xiumin considered this for a second, before apparently accepting whatever conclusion he had come to. "But I hadn't expected you to. We were, after all, only children. It was my first time away from the Imperial Palace, so it was much more memorable for me." Xiumin's lips twitched, almost forming a smile as he caught sight of the apologetic confusion on Romain's face. "When I was five, my parents visited yours in order to discuss the relations between our two countries."

Now Romain remembered. He'd been confused but taken with the foreigners' elegant robes and peculiar language, and curious about the boy who had ducked his head away shyly when Romain approached him.

"I never really made the connection," Romain admitted to Xiumin sheepishly. "Sorry. I don't think I ever called you by your name, either."

"You tried to," Xiumin corrected him. "You weren't particularly successful, even after my attempts to teach you. As a matter of fact, I believe you still haven't succeeded in saying my name."

Romain laughed, sitting down across from Xiumin. "Teach me, then. It's been, what, fifteen years? It's about time I got your name right, don't you think?"

* * *

"I'm hopeless at this, aren't I?"

Xiumin's lips curved ever so slightly, something Romain had come to recognize as his smile. "I commend you on your effort. If it consoles you, you are closer than you were before."

Romain shook his head, laughing, as he leaned back into his chair. "Maybe it's not me that's the problem. Maybe I just have a terrible teacher." Xiumin laughed at the comment - a quiet, almost restrained little laugh as his eyes followed Romain's movement - another peculiarity of his that Romain had become familiar with.

"You are almost a different person, when you are alone," Xiumin observed. "Much more confident. Almost charming."

Romain flushed. "Oh. I, um, thank you?"

" _That_ was not quite as charming. Or confident." Xiumin leaned forward, tilting his head to the side as he studied Romain. "Why is that so?"

"I…" Romain shrugged helplessly. "It's not as easy to be confident when people have so many expectations for you. The Selected all have their own ideas on what I should be, and I just…"

"The _Selected._ " Xiumin sounded almost contemptuous, but his features remained entirely neutral and his voice never rose. "Yes, a group of 狐狸精, commoners whose only assets are their pretty faces, all falling at your feet so that you will marry them and make them ruler beside you. Not even _you_ enjoy it, and it is intended to be held so you can find a husband or wife. A ridiculous business, this Selection."

" _You're_ a part of it, though," Romain pointed out in confusion.

"For political reasons only. Nothing more. The mere act of my parents entrusting me to the Illéans will improve relations between our kingdoms."

"It's for the good of the Illéa," Romain said, though that didn't sound convincing, even to himself. Xiumin didn't appear to want to dignify Romain's feeble defense with a response. He was kind of relieved, though, that Xiumin clearly didn't care about whether he was chosen or not. It took a little bit of the suffocating pressure that he'd been crippled under for days off of him.

Just then, there was a knock on Romain's door, followed by a voice muffled by the door. "Your Highnesses? The lockdown has been lifted."

"Oh," said Romain. He turned to Xiumin. "I suppose you can go now, if you want."

Xiumin inclined his head, still the epitome of respectfulness. "It was a pleasure, Prince Romain."

"Um. Likewise?" Romain probably should have listened more closely during his lessons. Perhaps then he wouldn't be floundering helplessly, trying to think of any response to Xiumin. As it was, he just watched as Xiumin swept out the door.

Romain slumped in his seat, only just then realizing how tense he had been the entire time. But even though he was much more relaxed now that Xiumin was gone, the concerns that he had kept at the back of his mind during their conversations now made themselves heard.

 _Princess Artemyeva is dead. How is that possible?_

As minutes passed with Romain in silent, disbelieving shock, another worry rose to the front of his mind. Where was Eden? He'd always been the one to personally inform all the royals of any changes in security - Romain distinctly remembered a nineteen-year-old Eden barging into his room when he was fifteen to cheerfully announce a false alarm, having been appointed as an unofficial messenger of the guard - in all his years at the palace, he'd never seemed to see any real need to break tradition. So where was he now? Was the situation so severe that Eden couldn't send anyone else to deal with the issue, even for a second?

The lockdown had been lifted - which had to mean that either his parents or Eden didn't think that there was any threat to the people currently in the castle. That must mean that Princess Artemyeva's death had been ruled a suicide. But Eden's uncharacteristic absence spoke louder than any bland reassurances he was sure the guards outside the door would level at him.

 _No matter what the King and Queen want people to think, there is someone, something dangerous within these walls._

* * *

Hey guys!

Sorry it's been so long (again). I had plans for a longer chapter, but I realized that the two sections didn't flow as well as I wanted it to, so I cut it up into two smaller pieces - so this chapter isn't quite as long as what you're used to, but I had to sacrifice length for flow. Hopefully, that means that the next chapter will come out sooner (don't hold me to that). Thanks for all your support and the lovely reviews on the last chapter!

\- Brenn


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